The Plant Craft Cottage is one of the many historic buildings in the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne and is over 170 years old. It is set within a gorgeous cottage garden and is home to all of the Friends’ talented craft groups.
The cottage is open to the public 10:00am to 3:00pm Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays plus one Sunday each month.
The craft groups host monthly demonstrations and workshops by various tutors teaching many crafts skills are delivered regularly.
If you are looking for some beautiful handmade gifts, the Plant Craft Cottage shop is the perfect spot to start your shopping. Alternatively, you can shop for some items online via our online shop.
Craft groups monthly meetings and demonstrations
| Natural Dye Group | 1st Wednesday | 10.30am to 2pm |
| Pot Pourri | 2nd Friday | 10.30am to 1.30pm |
| Plant Card Group | 2nd Tuesday | 10.30am to 2pm |
| Basketry Group | 4th Wednesday | 10am to 2pm |
| Garden Group | most Tuesdays | 9am to 12.30pm |
| Weekend Craft | 4th Saturday | 1pm to 3pm |
Location
In the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Melbourne Gardens. It is best to enter via Northern Gate (formerly Gate H) on Alexandra Ave (metered parking available in Alexandra Avenue)
Plant Craft Cottage is the oldest cottage in a public place in Victoria. Designed as an Under Gardener’s Cottage in 1850, it retains many of the original architectural features. Between the years 1853 and 1856, it was home to Melbourne’ s first Government Botanist, Dr Ferdinand von Mueller. Until the 1970s, as H Gate Lodge, it was occupied by a series of ‘under gardeners’ and since 1981 it has been a craft centre dedicated to the promotion of plant-related crafts.
Explore the interesting history of Plant Craft Cottage from shipping bricks from England through to the extensions which were added during the last century by downloading the History of Plant Craft Cottage written by Phyl Knaggs, a long term member of the Friends.